Educational Psychology Commons^™

Exploring Mental State Reasoning As A Social-Cognitive Mechanism For Social Loafing In Children., Robert Thompson, Bill Thornton

Bill Thornton

The authors explored mental-state reasoning ability among 72 preschoolers (ages 3-5 years) as a possible developmental mechanism for the well-known social loafing effect: diminished individual effort in a collaborative task. The authors expected that older children would outperform young children on standard mental-state reasoning tests and that they would display greater social loafing than younger children.

A Corpus-Based Approach To Determining Standard American English, Delys Ann Waite Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

Many teachers, test designers, textbook writers, and instructional designers turn to books written by usage experts to determine what is correct standard written American English. Unfortunately, though, experts often disagree about what is correct and what is incorrect, and this disagreement can create problems with validity when people create and assess instruction about usage. One way to discover the rules of standard English usage is to describe what writers actually do in printed, edited English. Researchers can access large collections of standard English through digital text archives, which can be searched electronically. The text archives for this study were taken …

An Evaluation Of Compatibility, Effectiveness, Utility, And Implementation Of Plagiarism-Detection Software Operating In The Honor Code Environment At Brigham Young University, George Louis Joeckel

Theses and Dissertations

Turnitin plagiarism-detection software was operating as a pilot program conducted by the Center for Teaching and Learning in Winter 2007 on the Brigham Young University (BYU) campus. A sample of 6 instructors and 79 student users participated in this evaluation. The evaluation findings show that Turnitin is compatible with the academic honesty environment created by BYU's Honor Code. Turnitin has been effective at detecting intentional and inadvertent plagiarism at BYU. It has also addressed the problem of multiple submissions of the same material. Recommendations are made for promoting Turnitin at the campus and department level. Training tools are proposed for …

Temperament And Personality In Preschoolers: Are The Concepts The Same Or Different?, Cathy Grist Litty

Doctoral Dissertations

Individual differences among adults have generally been conceptualized in terms of personality theory and traits and attributed more to life experiences and conditioning than innate dispositions. In contrast, to the more limited extent that individual differences among young children (birth to kindergarten) have been recognized and studied, they have generally been conceptualized in terms of temperament theory and traits, attributed to innate biological programming than to experience.

Recent developments in the field of personality theory begin to blur this distinction, suggesting that individual differences even in young children can be productively studied from the standpoint of personality traits. Specifically, the …

Collecting, Organizing, And Managing Resources For Teaching Educational Games The Wiki Way, David Wiley, Shelley Henson, Brett Shelton

Faculty Publications

As a reaction to the growing number of teachers using games in their curricula and the corresponding increase in university courses aimed at teaching the design of effective instructional games, we introduced a panel at the recent Games, Learning and Society presentation in Madison, Wisconsin, in June 2006. This panel brought together a community of interested parties involved with teaching educational game design. We collaborated with attendees before the panel convened so that we could introduce resources such as syllabi, collections of readings, and discussions of theory in a wiki environment to which participants could contribute during the session. After …

Vygotsky’S Theory Of The Creative Imagination: A Study Of The Influences On Preservice Teachers’ Creative Thinking Capacities, Stephen J. Worst

Dissertations

This study investigated the effect of formal instruction in the use of creative thinking skills on preservice teachers' capacities for increased creative activity. It emerged from Vygotsky's theory of the creative imagination. Emphasizing the impact of formal schooling on the growth of creative activity, he implied that individuals who are continually adding to accumulation of knowledge develop an abundant imagination from which creativity flows.

This quantitative study used a quasi-experimental design and attempted to test Vygotsky's assumptions within a sample population of 113 preservice teachers. Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking served as the pre- and post-tests that measured the creative …

The Moral Dimension Of Children’S And Adolescents’ Conceptualisation Of Tolerance To Human Diversity, Rivka Witenberg

Rivka T Witenberg Dr

This study examined the kinds of justifications children and adolescents used to support tolerant and intolerant judgements about human diversity. For the tolerant responses, three main belief categories emerged, based on the beliefs that others should be treated fairly (fairness), empathetically (empathy) and that reason/logic ought to govern judgements (reasonableness). Fairness emerged as the most used belief to support tolerant judgements and the most commonly used combination of beliefs was found to be fairness/empathy, linking tolerance to moral reasoning, rules, and values. Specifically noticeable was that 6 to 7 year olds appealed to fairness more often in comparison to the …

Roles And Responsiblities For Vicses In Flood Education (Report), Neil Dufty

Neil Dufty

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of A Student Response System Used At Brigham Young University, Coral Marie Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is two fold: (a) to evaluate the technology (hardware and software) of the student response system (SRS) used at Brigham Young University (BYU) and (b) to evaluate which instructional methods being used with the SRS students' feel are most helpful. In the past, the student response systems supported by BYU have not fully met the needs of professors and problems with the systems have limited professors' uses of the SRS. Ten professors were randomly selected to participate in the evaluation using a stratified random sampling technique. The data collection methods consisted of classroom observations, interviews …

Faculty Perceptions Of Technology Projects, Whitney Ransom Mcgowan, Charles R. Graham, Jon Mott

Faculty Publications

Significant investments in time, money, and effort go into developing and applying technology to improve teaching and learning. As universities pursue such projects, they must determine the impact and value of technology for student learning. During the past decade, funds spent on technology for educational purposes have tripled throughout the United States. Determining a hard return on investment (ROI) for the time and money spent to improve education is difficult, however. Institutions should also measure the value on investment (VOI) that their funds and efforts yield. In the study of faculty and their technology projects at Brigham Young University (BYU) …

The Massillon Academic Success Project: An Investigation Of How Disadvantaged African American Students Can Rise Above Barriers To Academic Achievement, Oscar T. Mcknight

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Inside Story Of A Global Research Project: Lifelong Learning And Higher Education, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

This paper focuses on a process for helping a traditional higher education institution make a shift toward an orientation of lifelong learning. The sections provided are: Background of the relationship between University of Missouri and University of Western Cape; the international bridge building conferences; characteristic elements and measurable performance indicators; culture - development of new directions and related questions; impetus for the project; difficulties of bringing together the thinking from many countries; confusion that emerged, understanding communications, tensions and how they originated; differences throughout; fulfilling and contradicting expectations; comparing national and international networks; values and disappointments in international work; mosaic-stone …

Part-Time Work As A School Psychologist, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

U.S. News and World Report recently rated school psychology as one of the 25 best careers for 2007, highlighting a variety of factors converging to create a strong job market outlook for school psychologists. It emphasizes the generally positive working conditions experienced by those working in our field. One of the many perks to the profession of school psychology is the potential for flexibility in one’s work, such as through parttime positions. While numerous occupations do not lend themselves to part-time work, many school districts offer appealing parttime positions to school psychologists. This is not only a good option for …

Supporting And Encouraging Behavioral Research Among Distance Education Students, Scott Bates, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Michael J. Drysdale

Psychology Faculty Publications

Colleges and universities are reaching new audiences and helping students complete degrees and programs of study through distance education departments and programs. Distance education attracts working professionals, employed students, and single parents (Johnson, et al., 2003), who may otherwise not be able to engage in a traditional academic setting. These individuals can now enroll in single courses or full undergraduate and graduate programs. Distance education departments offer courses and degrees through various modes of delivery, including: independent study, online (via course management applications such as Blackboard), interactive broadcast (via satellite), and Ed-NET courses (via internet/webcam).

Evaluation Of An Adult Education Technology Program, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adult education technology program at a chartered alternative adult education center in Florida. The adult education center had a low rate of students passing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This study examined the impact of the use of computer technology in an effort to improve student learning in mathematics, reading, and science. Computers at the institution were used by all students for tutorials to prepare them for the FCAT and to obtain a high school diploma. The research questions for this study were as follows: 1. Is the education technology …

Development Of The Characteristics Of Science Questionnaire (Csq): Assessing Student Knowledge Of The Utah State Secondary Science Core Intended Learning Outcome 6 On The Nature Of Science, Bradford N. Talbert

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching students about the nature of science is an important and necessary part of secondary science curricula. The Utah State Office of Education has provided specific guidelines called intended learning outcomes (ILOs) to teachers in the state. The ILOs are based on the national standards presented in the Project 2061 publications of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1990 and 1993. The ILOs are not tied to any one scientific discipline such as biology or chemistry, but are intended as global statements describing what scientists do and how scientific knowledge is gained. ILO 6 prescribes that students …

Differential Item Functioning Analysis Of The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, Jared Andrew Lees

Theses and Dissertations

Differential item functioning (DIF) is present when examinees who have the same level of a trait have a different probability of correctly answering a test item intended to measure that trait (Shepard & Averill, 1981). The following study is a DIF analysis of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), a preference profiling instrument developed by Herrmann International to help individuals identify their dominant preferences and then classify their level of dominance into four preference quadrants. Examinees who completed the American English version of the instrument were classified as the reference group and examinees of the International English version were classified …

Students' Perception Of Value Of Interactive Oral Communication As Part Of Writing Course Papers, Meredyth Krych Appelbaum, Joanna Musial

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Every day students are able to discuss complex ideas relatively easily in spontaneous conversation, yet when they attempt to express complex ideas in a written paper, students often experience great difficulty. The features of face-to-face conversation and of written communication differ in a number of respects. This study examines student's perceptions of peer evaluation through interactive conversation as compared to non-interactive written peer feedback. This study provides evidence that students perceive value in actively talking with others about their paper. In particular, students often prefer to talk to someone who has investment in their success and who can give them …

Testing The Assumption Of Sample Invariance Of Item Difficulty Parameters In The Rasch Rating Scale Model, Joseph A. Curtin

Theses and Dissertations

Rasch is a mathematical model that allows researchers to compare data that measure a unidimensional trait or ability (Bond & Fox, 2007). When data fit the Rasch model, it is mathematically proven that the item difficulty estimates are independent of the sample of respondents. The purpose of this study was to test the robustness of the Rasch model with regards to its ability to maintain invariant item difficulty estimates when real (data that does not perfectly fit the Rasch model), polytomous scored data is used. The data used in this study comes from a university alumni questionnaire that was collected …

Syntactic Attrition In L2 Mandarin Speakers, Shu Pei Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how syntactic skill was maintained or lost by L2 Mandarin Chinese learners over time. In addition, this study endeavored to discover how a learner's L1 affects the attrition process of word order in Mandarin Chinese. To find out how certain Chinese syntactic structures were subject to attrition over time and how syntactic errors could be attributed to L1 transfer, five types of Chinese syntax that either resembled English, were very different from English, or had no counterpart in English were selected. They included subject-verb-object sentences, modifiers before modified, time and other adverbial …

Reliability Of Pre-Service Teachers Coding Of Teaching Videos Using Video-Annotation Tools, Brigham R. Dye

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher education programs that aspire to helping pre-service teachers develop expertise must help students engage in deliberate practice along dimensions of teaching expertise. However, field teaching experiences often lack the quantity and quality of feedback that is needed to help students engage in meaningful teaching practice. The limited availability of supervising teachers makes it difficult to personally observe and evaluate each student teacher's field teaching performances. Furthermore, when a supervising teacher debriefs such an observation, the supervising teacher and student may struggle to communicate meaningfully about the teaching performance. This is because the student teacher and supervisor often have very …

Evidence Supporting The Validity Of Inferences Required By The Intended Uses Of The Technology Integration Confidence Scale, Jeremy Michael Browne

Theses and Dissertations

Many teacher preparation programs provide opportunities for their preservice educators to gain the requisite technology integration skills and knowledge. However, they often ignore the dispositions that affect whether a teacher will actually use technology in the classroom. In an effort to address this oversight, the McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University developed the Technology Integration Confidence Scale (TICS). It was hoped the TICS could be used to (a) establish a baseline preservice teacher profile, (b) monitor the effects of curricular adjustments, (c) identify preservice teachers in most need of intervention, and (d) predict in-practice behavior. Although a pilot …

The Young Women Resource Room: An Implementation Of A Dvd-Based Training Station Instructional Program, Scott R. Hamblin

Theses and Dissertations

A review of the development and implementation of a DVD-based kiosk for the Young Women (YW) organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Young Women desired to implement a public kiosk to display several multimedia-based presentations relating to the YW program. This paper describes the development, usability evaluation, and implementation of the kiosk. Recommendations for improvements and further enhancements are included. The project was successfully developed and implemented to the satisfaction of the Young Women General Presidency.

Using Speech Recognition Software To Increase Writing Fluency For Individuals With Physical Disabilities, Jennifer Tumlin Garrett

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Writing is an important skill that is necessary throughout school and life. Many students with physical disabilities, however, have difficulty with writing skills due to disability-specific factors, such as motor coordination problems. Due to the difficulties these individuals have with writing, assistive technology is often utilized. One piece of assistive technology, speech recognition software, may help remove the motor demand of writing and help students become more fluent writers. Past research on the use of speech recognition software, however, reveals little information regarding its impact on individuals with physical disabilities. Therefore, this study involved students of high school age with …

Impact Of International Education Experiences On Undergraduate Students, Elizabeth J. Sandell

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

The article discusses research on the impact of study abroad experiences on students at Minnesota State University in Mankato. The International Programs Office at the university identified a convenience sample of 233 students who studied abroad during the calendar year 2006. The students were asked to rate the impact of their international education experience in four areas including professional role, international perspectives, personal development and intellectual development. More than 80 percent of respondents reported their international education experiences had already made them reassess their outlook on their lives in the U.S. and contributed to their level of self-confidence.

Proctored Vs. Un-Proctored Exams In A Hybrid Course: A Brief Comparison Of Student Results, Kimberly Hollister

Department of Information Management and Business Analytics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The research aims to examine whether there is a difference in undergraduate student performance on skill-based exams in an introductory computer literacy course at a state comprehensive university when exams are administered in-class vs. online. Two samples, each consisting of approximately 107 students, are considered for this study. A comparison of exam scores will be used to identify differences in exam performance between the two groups.

Motivation And Performance In Computer Science: Test Of An Integrative Theory, Katherine A. Selgrade

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to design and empirically test a parsimonious integrative motivation theory. The theory integrates aspects of expectancy theory, social cognitive theory, goal-setting theory, and commitment theory. The theory was tested with 170 undergraduate, students in an introductory computer science (CS) course.

The study tested relationships among the following variables: CS self-efficacy, mathematics ability, affective commitment to the CS class, goal orientation, effort, and performance. The study also tested the interactive effects of effort and ability on performance. Structural equation modeling was used to test the measurement model and a series of nested structural models. Findings …

Identifying Factors That Influence Academic Performance Among Adolescents With Conduct Disorder, Lisa May Quick

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

The academic underachievement of children and adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder is well established in the literature. However, no study to date has explored the contributions of personal and contextual variables to specific areas of academic functioning in this population. In this study measures of basic reading, reading comprehension, mathematics reasoning, and numerical operations were assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) in 63 participants with childhood onset (CO) conduct disorder and 27 participants with adolescent onset (AO) conduct disorder. Participants were enrolled in a residential treatment facility between 1998 and 2002 at the time of evaluation. A series …

Moral Imagination In Theory And Practice, Peter Leland Samuelson

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

A review of the literature in several domains reveals that moral imagination plays a role in how we deliberate about moral issues and what motivates us to act in a moral way. This study begins by outlining an operational definition of moral imagination based largely on Dewey’s model of dramatic rehearsal (Dewey, 1922), along with an explication of the role of image schemas, metaphor, empathy, and narrative in moral imagination (Johnson, 1993) and an examination of how moral imagination develops through the lifespan. A review of the research of the components of moral imagination is included, especially in the literature …

Earth Science Mini-Lessons: A Service-Learning Strategy For Improving Attitudes Toward Science Of Preservice Elementary Teachers, K. Thompson, B. R. Bickmore, Charles R. Graham, S. C. Yanchar

Faculty Publications

Science instruction in elementary school classrooms is frequently lacking in the United States. One factor that impacts the amount and quality of science instruction is teacher attitudes toward science. The Earth Science Mini-Lesson Project is a strategic program created to help improve preservice elementary school teachers' attitudes toward science in a one-semester college class. Students participating in this project create earth science mini-lessons on topics taken from the Utah Core Curriculum Standards and teach them to elementary students at a local Title I grade school. Attitude survey results from both semesters showed that this service-learning outreach program positively affected students' …